Stonewall, the organisation geared towards promotion of equal rights for gay and lesbian and bisexual groups, has launched Gay By Degree – the first ever guide which shows how gay-friendly every university in the UK is – www.gaybydegree.org.uk
The online guide is aimed at lesbian, gay and bisexual 16 and 17 year olds who are choosing which university to study at.
Luke Tryl, Stonewall’s Education Officer, said:
‘With the introduction of tuition fees, students are increasingly consumers and as such expect universities to cater to their needs. For the first time, students can now compare how gay-friendly every UK university is by browsing this groundbreaking new guide.’
Gay By Degree measures how gay-friendly each university is based on a range of factors, including whether there is a student LGB Society, if LGB specific careers advice is offered, membership of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Programme, policies and practices that counter homophobic bullying and specific events for LGB students.
It also contains gay-specific advice about the university experience and a ten point checklist Stonewall recommends every university should meet to recruit and retain the very best gay talent – both students and staff.
